


Intuition of the Heart

by Megane



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Belonging, Best Friends, Bonding, Confessions, Creating Weapons, Darkness, Established Relationship, Feelings, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Growing Pains, Gut Instincts, Heart-to-Heart, Heartache, Introspection, Keyblade, Light Angst, Loss of Innocence, M/M, Moving On, Secret Santa, Sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 14:23:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8986033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megane/pseuds/Megane
Summary: Sora knew one thing for sure: he didn't want to be at Destiny Islands. But where was he to go now…? To the only person who and the only place where he knew he belonged.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For the KH Secret Santa event! The person on my good list this year was [Potato](dumbpotatoarts.tumblr.com) on tumblr! I hope you enjoy it!

He never meant to go back.

He loved Destiny Islands with all of his heart, always had and always would, but honestly… he never meant to go back. When he did initially, he stayed because of Kairi. She was his friend, and he would always care for her. He wanted to be with her, and some part of him– however small he thought it was or wanted it to be– was tired of traveling. Having her nearby made him think that things were normal. She made him think that he was just a normal guy. There was no darkness, no “Kingdom Key”. It wasn't because Kairi was bland or unimaginative herself; she just knew how to make each day count. She knew how to make the hours drift by effortlessly; she knew how to make things safe, knew how to keep him _happy_ , and nothing existed outside the world they had together. It was a perfect bubble.

But there were times when he noticed that their little bubble had holes. There were times when he noticed the vacuous space where someone else should have been. They were missing their third piece, and as cliché as it was even to Sora at this point, they were the three amigos. The Musketeers. Riku just… had to be there. And after everything they had been through, him not being there was even _more_ noticeable.

The second time Sora went back to Destiny Islands, they were _all_ there. Him, Kairi, and Riku– three peas in a pod as they always should have been. The days were a pleasant blur, a true blast from the past. Sora felt that being at Destiny Islands finally made sense. He finally felt that things fit as they should. Perhaps this was all he needed was to replace that missing piece. But then, Riku left again.

This time was different though. He was called away by an ally. Sora didn't realise how much it would shake him to see Riku's back to him again as the older male walked away. There was a moment of fear, a moment where his mind believed this departure was not as benign as it seemed, and then as if sensing it, Riku turned to him and smiled. Sora returned the gesture, but he knew it wasn't sincere. To his infinite surprise, _Kairi_ was next. She was called away by the Queen, and even though it wasn't urgent, he knew that it was still incredibly important. He encouraged her to go, his heart beating quickly in excitement for her. Her smile, ah… He remembered it well. Kairi's smile was the brightest he remembered it being in years. She seemed so happy.

So, of course, she had to go.

And for once, Sora was alone. He was the one left behind. For the first time in a long, long time, he stood on the beach by himself, staring out towards the nigh endless ocean, and reflected inwardly on everything that had happened. Riku had been called away; Kairi was about to take on some important task, and Sora was just… here. He stood quietly with his feet buried in the sand; the ocean water splashed against his ankles. In another world, in another time, this would have given him peace, but this time… it didn't. The thought made his brows furrow. He looked over his shoulder towards the town. It was then that he was sure of the weight he carried in his heart. He hadn't wanted to come back in the first place. More importantly, and perhaps more _accurately_ , in his situation–

He wished he hadn't stayed…

As soon as he embraced it, it felt like the world started to change around him. The stars aligned in such a way that he could leave social situations without anyone making a fuss or anyone even noticing in the first place. He knew that it was time to go because the weight in his heart began to lighten over time, but what really sealed it was his mom. She seemed… less attentive. Not in a way where she seemed negligent, oh absolutely not. She just seemed less aware of him. It was as if he didn't exist. When he noticed this, Sora was left with a strange, unnerving peace that had him wandering quietly through Destiny Islands all on his own. He took a boat to the island where he and the others _always_ played and just walked. Everywhere he went, he heard someone laughing as he passed by. He felt like a ghost haunting its former home. Maybe that's all he was now.

If so, then it was time for this ghost to move on.

He entered into the secretive cave and laughed gently. He was surprised he could still fit in here. He dropped down onto one knee and stared at the tiny passage that started it all. His lips quirked up at the memory. Sora looked to his left and then his right, staring at the drawings that decorated this place. There was so much history here, so many memories. Through the haze of his strange peace, he felt the pang of longing. He yearned for his childhood innocence, but the yearning passed quietly. Painfully.

Sora took in a deep breath, burying the reality of growing pains underneath, and pushed forward. He wasn't sure when this tiny door had become a portal or if it was merely his heart creating a doorway for him to pass through, but he was glad to step out into Radiant Garden once again. He drew in another breath. His back arched as he rose up onto the tips of his feet. His hands reached towards the multi-coloured sky. Sora opened his eyes; he wiggled his fingers, and he smiled. He didn't even hear the door close and fade away behind him.

But he did hear a voice call out to him– familiar as so many were by now– and Sora settled down on his feet once again. He turned towards the sound and saw Leon waving him over. Sora tried to walk over– he really did– but instead, he burst into a run and nearly bowled Leon over with a flying hug.

        “H-hey!! What's gotten into you?” Leon asked, patting a hand awkwardly against Sora's back.

       Sora buried his face in Leon's stomach, shaking his head as he mumbled mostly to himself. “Nothing…” He lifted his head, resting his chin against Leon, as he said, “I'm just glad to be back.”

       “Hm… Glad to have you back.”

Leon gave in and wrapped his arms around Sora. He let out a brief chuckle when Sora tightened his grip. Afterward, Leon was allowed to pull himself away and motioned for Sora to follow him up the stone slope.

       “You've great timing. The others are waiting just up ahead.”

        “Hm? What's going on?”

       “Nothing really.” Leon gave him a smirk. “Just a little surprise.”

       “A surprise?” Sora's eyes widened, and he grinned at the word.

One would think that the point of a surprise would be ruined when the word 'surprise' came up in conversation, but Sora was optimistic. Just because someone said he had a surprise waiting didn't necessarily mean that he meant that he knew what it was. He was excited! His mind ran over the many options. His thoughts crashed and combined, forming ridiculous and unprecedented options until he worked himself into a jittery stupor.

       “… You okay?” Leon asked, uncertain if he even wanted the answer.

Sora looked up at him, blue eyes nearly sparkling as his unadulterated eagerness shone through from his core. Leon pulled his hands up, jumping back at the sight. He clapped a hand over Sora's eyes and muttered, “You're not okay.” Sora could only laugh in response. It was an honest, heartfelt sound, and whatever vestiges of sadness he still had inside of him shattered like glass.

When they finally made it, Sora grinned when he saw that, indeed, all of his friends inhabiting Radiant Garden were there. Tifa was the first to notice and wave at him. Yuffie greeted him by running over and giving him a big hug just like he had did with Leon earlier. The only difference was that Yuffie managed to lift him up. Sora curled his feet behind him and laughed, pressing their cheeks together.

       “Good to see you too,” he said to her once Yuffie hurriedly set him on his feet.

They smiled at each other, and then Sora said his hellos to everyone as they turned to acknowledge him. His voice fell short when he saw Riku step from the crowd and smile warmly at him. Sora's fingers curled towards his palm, and after the brief moment of shock had passed, his brows knit together, and he smiled at Riku fondly.

        “Riku…”

       “I knew you'd show up eventually,” Riku said, placing a hand on his hip. “Kairi couldn't be here, but she says hello too.”

       Sora brought his hand to his chest, curling it against his heart. “Hey, Kairi…” he said gently. He lowered his hand and then looked to Leon. “So! What's the surprise?”

       “You told him?” Tifa asked, sauntering back to join the semi-circle of people.

       “Not _really_. I didn't say what it was if that counts.”

        Tifa shook her head with a little sigh. “It counts, I guess.”

Leon smirked and then looked over to Cloud. Their eyes met, and after a long silence, Cloud nodded his head. Sora placed his hands behind his head as he watched the duo.

       “If the surprise is telepathy, I definitely want in.”

       Everyone laughed gently. “I don't even wanna imagine what ya'd get into with that,” Cid said, turning his toothpick over towards the other side of his mouth.

        Sora grinned. “Don't imagine– just let me at it!”

He rocked back onto his heels, happy with the moment, and Cid cut his hand through the air, dismissing Sora's silly request. Leon walked forward and took his place across from Cloud. They stretched their hands forward. Cloud's hand hovered above Leon's, both their palms facing each other. There was about six inches of space between both of their hands. They closed their eyes and focused their energy into the empty space. When there was a small ball of white light, the others stretched their hands towards Leon and Cloud's.

Riku locked gazes with Sora and then reached his hand forward. He looked down towards the ball of light. For a moment, Sora could only keep his eyes on Riku, but a sharp, chiming noise earned his attention. He watched as Leon and Cloud drew their hands back and brought them parallel with each other. A second after, everyone's hands jerked back as well when a new keyblade formed in front of them. Sora's arms fell at his sides; his eyes widened.

       “Wha–”

       “Surprise!” everyone said to him. Yuffie reached forward and wiggled her fingers dramatically at the keyblade.

Sora let out a shocked laughed but then walked forward to take the weapon with his right hand. Ah, the familiar weight made his heart sing. He took a moment to examine the blade. There were many he had that were beautiful in their own way; this was no different. The guard was a pearlescent blue-black colour. It twisted around his hand and over his wrist. He cupped his left hand over the keyblade's handle as well. The twisting guard still covered his fingers, and the end that curled around his right wrist fit nicely against the pulse point of his left wrist.

There was a thin space between the guard and the pearlescent crown just at the base of the blade. The crown was a bit more ornate than the simple three tiered one he was so used to having as a pendant. There was a center pole with a yellow ribbon twisted around it. The actual similarly coloured blue-black blade was split in two, running along both sides of the pole. The blade facing the ground had a yellow arch with sun-style spikes coming out of it.

Sora turned his back to the others and ran a test combination with the new keyblade. Swipe right, swipe left. He did an arching jump, swinging the keyblade around his form. When he touched the ground with his right foot, he jabbed the blade forward with his right hand. His left arm was held out at his side. The others merely watched, and when he stood up straight, they applauded, theatrically cheering him on. Sora's laugh bubbled up as he stood up straight, staring at the weapon in his hands. After a moment, the name came to him, gifted by some otherworldly voice.

 _Heartswhisper_.

It only made sense, right?

       He turned around, flashing his best smile. “That's everyo— _wha!_ ”

Riku had him in a headlock before he had a chance to prepare himself. Sora felt a strong bicep flex against his cheek. The other side of his face was pressed against Riku's chest. _Ignoring_ the heat he felt building up on his face, Sora huffed loudly and put his free hand against Riku's lower back. He shoved at his friend, groaning loudly. When he managed to free himself, he could only enjoy it for a second because Riku was on him again.

       “Seems like we should take it for a test run, doesn't it?” Riku asked, laughter in his voice as he grappled Sora. This time when Sora escaped, Riku let him have his peace.

       Sora huffed at Riku before giving his friend a push. “Yeah– we can do that.” He then turned his attention to the others. “Thanks, everyone! Really! But… how did you know I was coming though?”

       Cloud crossed his arms as Aerith said, “We didn't. We were just planning for when we would be able to give you your gift next time we saw you. We were just hammering out the details. It was actually his idea.” Aerith nodded her head to Riku, who gave a small smile and tipped his head down. At this, Sora looked over to his friend. “Riku came up with the idea to give you a gift. And we agreed. Consider this as our way of thanking you for everything you've done for us.”

Sora looked to Heartswhisper in his hand and then closed his eyes. He felt so happy; he felt _something_ after a long time of not feeling anything at all. The upsettingly quiet peace had been replaced with something real and fulfilling. He took a moment to bask in it and then looked to his friends.

       “It means a lot, being able to help and protect you. To be friends with all of you! If this is how you want to thank me, then this will become my strength.”

The others nodded in appreciation, but true to his nature, Riku merely scoffed.

       “You're such a sap, Sora,” Riku teased. He reached over and grabbed Sora's cheek between his thumb and forefinger. “Let's test this new strength of yours then.”

       Cloud stared at the two of them and then looked up to the ceiling. “Now where've I heard that before?”

       “Someone specific come to mind?” Tifa asked.

Cloud merely huffed through his nose then gave a little shrug. Sora bat away Riku's hand and then brought the keyblade up to his shoulder. He tilted his head and then grinned, looking boyish and devilish all at the same time.

       “Alright. Let's train. But I'm not the same as when we fought together last time.”

       Riku's smile was knowing… and a little sad. “Neither am I,” he said softly. Taking in a breath, the vulnerability was tucked away, and Riku said to the others, “We'll be heading off now.”

       “Be safe,” Aerith replied. 

        “Don't get too far away, just in case I need you,” Leon instructed.

       Riku hummed. “Right,” he said and then tipped to the side, already walking out of the castle.

Sora looked to Riku and then looked back to the group. He waved enthusiastically at them and grinned when they waved him off in return. Sora hurried after Riku, soon coming to the other male's side. His fingers were still wrapped around Heartswhisper's handle. He flexed his arm briefly, memorising the weight and balance of this keyblade. He looked up to Riku, and Aerith's voice replayed in his mind.

       “ _Riku came up with the idea to give you a gift.”_

       “ _Consider this as our way of thanking you for everything you've done for us.”_

His gaze softened. He thought to reach out, to say something, but nothing came to his mind. When Riku looked over at him, Sora knew that nothing would have sufficed anyway. They finally made it to their training grounds, and Sora slowed his steps. Ah… He remembered. He fought Sephiroth here. He wanted to say not too long ago, but it had been a few months. Almost a year, maybe. He looked up to Riku, who continued walking to put some distance between them. Riku turned and stretched out his right hand. Way to the Dawn materialised against his palm. He wrapped his fingers around the handle and tensed his arm to brace against the weight.

       “How many years has it been,” Riku began, voice thoughtful like he was speaking more to himself, “since I put the divide between you and I?” Sora let his arms hang at his sides, and an unspoken answer drifted in the air. Riku gave a small huff of a laugh, eyes closing briefly. “It's been too long. Hasn't it?”

       “But things are different now,” Sora assured, taking a couple of steps closer. “You're here… and so am I.”

       Riku nodded silently. He raised his sword up in front of his face, staring at his curled fingers before lowering the weapon down and leveling it towards Sora. “But now I wonder, how big is the gap between us? Come at me, Sora! I want to test… the strength of your heart!”

         _'My… heart?'_ Sora thought to himself before he shook his head and readied himself. He clasped his hands over the Heartwhisper's handle and gripped tight.

There was a moment of silence, and then he lunged forward. Sora kicked off the ground, sailed through the air, and brought his sword over his head. Riku braced against the attack, holding the Way to the Dawn up with both hands. Their eyes met over the clashing blades, and for a moment, Sora felt nothing between them. Riku shoved forward and sent Sora flying back. He pursued, weapon at the ready. Sora flipped over and swung his keyblade as he went upside down. Riku smiled at him, but again, it was an empty gesture.

Riku repelled him once more, but this time, he didn't follow. Sora corrected himself mid-flight and slid backwards across the ground. He stood up to his feet. Riku slashed his keyblade off to the side and stared at Sora with an analytic, hooded gaze. He slowly closed his eyes and swayed to the right. He briefly disappeared. Sora's eyes widened in shock. Just a second before impact, he looked over to his left and was just _barely_ able to parry Riku's attack. Riku came at him, swinging his keyblade in steady but hard movements. Sora continued repelling. He stepped backwards blindly, unwilling to draw his eyes away from Riku for even a second.

Riku spun around and swept low, going for Sora's feet; Sora jumped on a reflex. His heart leapt into his throat at the suddenness. But also– Riku was fighting him with his eyes closed.

       “Ri— _kuh!_ ”

Riku shot upwards and rammed his shoulder into Sora's body. Sora went backwards and barely caught himself before he fell to the ground. He stabbed the end of Heartswhisper into the ground, and his other hand went to his stomach.

       “You're holding back,” Riku said matter-of-factly as he turned to his left. Sora lifted his head; Riku shook his head casually. “I'm not sure why. Then again, when a heart is as full and bright as yours, I guess you have the ability to let go and restrict yourself at will.”

       “Don't say that.” Sora came up to his feet. “Don't talk as if you're somehow more broken than I am. Don't talk as if… somehow my heart is better than yours!”

       Riku opened his eyes slightly, staring blankly at the world before him. “… But what if it is?”

Riku took a step back and instantly disappeared from sight. Sora jumped up to his feet and parried to the left again. Riku's keyblade hit his own, and then Riku disappeared again. Sora reached Heartswhisper behind his back, protecting against Riku's forward jab. He brought his keyblade at his side, whipping around to face Riku. But of course, he was gone. Sora panted, trying to look around for Riku somewhere. He could sense Riku– he didn't know how or why, but he could! Would it make any difference if he… Sora stared at the ground, debating, very briefly, on whether or not he should follow in Riku's footsteps. If it didn't work, he could just go back to what he was already doing. Hesitantly, Sora closed his eyes and took deep, calming breaths through his nose.

He focused on his own heart. It beat faster from the adrenaline, but after a couple of seconds of quiet concentration, Sora swore he could feel a second heart beating against his own. But instead of the familiar, comforting warmth, there was… a strange coldness. Sora's brows knit together. A forward strike came at him, and Sora's arm lifted on reflex alone. He heard Riku chuckle.

       “Maybe you're not the same,” Riku said. And then Sora suddenly felt Riku was further away.

This time, Sora was the one to pursue. He took a step forward and willed himself to be closer to Riku. He wanted to eliminate the gap between them. There was a clash of metal; the impact vibrated through Sora's arms. He wanted to open his eyes, but there was something intoxicating about fighting blind. And he could still chase after Riku. He heard the soft shuffling of their footsteps as they dodged and chased after each other. Their keyblades cut through the air, skillfully missing each other in this sightless exchange; Sora's hair bobbed with each near slice and close cut of Riku's weapon. But still, he didn't open his eyes. Sora felt as if they were dancing together, and somehow, looking would ruin everything.

He suddenly knew, in a way, how Cinderella felt.

Their weapons clashed together one last time, and they pushed against one another. Sora was hyper focused on his body as well as the beating in his chest. He and Riku's hearts were beating in sync. The quick thudding echoed in Sora's ears. He was focusing most of his strength in this silent struggle against Riku, but for some reason, now Sora couldn't help but open his eyes. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Riku looking at him. Those beautiful sharp green eyes met Sora's own softer, brighter, bluer eyes. Riku reached forward with his right hand and threaded his fingers in Sora's hair. The two simultaneously lowered their weapons. Sora gasped softly as Riku brought him closer.

Their lips almost touched; Riku stared down into Sora's eyes, and Sora blushed at the proximity.

       “Can you feel my heart beat, Sora?”

       “Y-yeah…” Sora wanted to kiss him.

       “I can feel yours too.” Riku's eyes closed; he angled his head slightly. Sora _really_ wanted to kiss him, but… “It's not fair.”

        “What isn't?” Sora heard himself whisper.

He heard a clang. Way to the Dawn was dropped on the floor, and Riku's now free right hand went to his chest. Sora gasped again.

       “This heart, even in my chest, beats so strong and beautifully. Do you truly feel mine? Can you tell how erractically it beats, how cold it is?”

Sora swallowed and nodded slowly. He felt their lips graze against each other, and he wanted to close the gap. Riku turned his hand to the side and slid it against Sora's ribs. Riku dragged Sora into a hug, and the echo of their hearts rang through each other's body. It was almost too much… it was almost overwhelming, but the synchronicity was like beautiful music. The energetic liveliness of Sora's own heart song was given more emphasis by Riku's needier beat, which moved quickly, so desperately trying to keep pace.

Riku… was trying to keep up with Sora?

       Riku laughed gently and squeezed his arms tight around Sora. “Ever since I found my way back to the light, I knew that I had things to do, so many things to make up for. And when we fought together against Ansem, I knew that there was only one way that I could.

        “I wanted to go on a personal journey all by myself, but that's what got me into this mess in the first place. Sora.” Riku drew back and looked into Sora's eyes. “I need _you_. You're the only one who makes me feel as if everything's alright. When I'm close to you, I feel the warmth I'm so desperately chasing. I don't mind the darkness, but it's the coldness, the loneliness of it all that I want to shake.”

       Sora was speechless for a moment. When Riku's hand laid against his cheek, Sora leaned into it. “I guess I needed to get my butt kicked a few times before I realised it, but Sora… I need to ask you. Can I…” Riku hesitated. There were so many thoughts going on in his mind; they were so loud and mixed that Sora could almost _hear_ them. Riku laughed gently and turned his head away, embarrassed by his own sudden vulnerability again.

       “Can I stay by your side?” Riku asked. “Can I rely on your strength for just a little while?”

       “Riku, I…”

       “You can always say no.” Riku smiled sadly, and it _hurt_ Sora.

The weight returned. Sora curled his fingers tight in Riku's shirt. He let Heartswhisper fall away and pulled tight at Riku's clothing with his other hand as well. He hadn't wanted to be at Destiny Islands anymore. He had wanted to be where he was needed, where he better belonged. He wanted to keep smiling with Kairi; he wanted to keep fighting strong alongside Leon and all the others, but with Riku…

He just wanted to be _with_ him right here. He knew this had been the answer all along!

       Sora reached up with both hands to cup Riku's face. “Of course!” Sora said, giving a smile that wavered under all his sudden emotions.

Sora brought Riku's head down, and their lips came together slowly. It was a chaste kiss for a moment, but then Riku pressed closer. He drew Sora tighter to his body, so their bodies were flush against one another. Their hearts quickened simultaneously, and their lips worked together, urgent and needy. Sora felt warm all over, and for once, there was a true synchronicity in their bodies. Riku's heart beat in time with his own. Sora gasped into the kiss, and Riku nipped at his bottom lip.

Faster, their hearts beat faster as one, and this new degree of intimacy made Sora feel weak– but not in such a way where he didn't like it. After a parting kiss, he drew away. His cheeks were red, and Riku's were no better. Sora gave a bashful smile and brought his hands up to his face.

       “You can always stay with me,” Sora said after a contemplative moment. “Don't ever feel as if you have to ask.” 

        Riku placed a hand on his own hip and shifted his weight. “I just feel I have to because–”

       “We can't… change the past.” Sora drew his hands down, staring at the ground. “We can't change that. All we can do is build a new future together.” He smiled, feeling reassured by his own words, and then he looked to Riku. “One where we're stronger together.”

Riku smirked and then nodded his head. He bent down and took Way to the Dawn with his left hand and Heartswhisper in his right. He tossed Heartswhisper over to Sora, who caught it easily. Afterward, Riku extended out his right hand for Sora to take. There was a moment of hesitation filled with a long buried fear. For just a moment. Sora thought back to a time where this hand…

Sora shook his head.

The past was, indeed, in the past. It was time to move into the future now.

Sora grabbed Riku's hand with a smile. Riku gave a little squeeze around Sora's fingers and tugged him back towards the castle. Sora wasn't sure what awaited them today or any other day in the future, but if he had come far enough to where Riku would want and need him, then there was no turning back.

He was right where he belonged.


End file.
